Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-19
MALT-M1KLNG.
Some Interesting Facts About a Great In
dustrU.
rr3,Hslo Courier

Some Interesting Facts About a Great tn
dust,U.
Buffalo Courier.l
buffalo manufactures every year
nearly seven million bushels of malt.
almost wholly the product of Canadian
barley, which, it appear, makes better
grade of malt than its congener on this
side of the border. This is about two
million bushels in excess of the COM
bined manufacture of any two other
American cities, and, indeed, it is not
unlikely that we lead the world in this
industry. Our maltsters make within
two million bushels of the amount used
annually in London, England, by brew
ing houses, and great proportion OF
the malt used there comes from
provincial towns. The greater number
of the breweries in Buffalo make their
own malt as they want it, while the
product of the regular malt-houses is
almost wholly shipped east, where it
finds ready market in New England,
Philadelphia, Newark, New York,
Albany, and other cities largely in.
terested in brewing.
The manufacture of malt, briefly
stated, consists in the conversion of the
starch in the barley kernel into sugar,
from which by fermentation the potent
principle in ale and beer is produced.
The process in all essential particulars
is as ancient as "the bulrushes round
little Moses, on the old banks of the
Nile. Indeed, it is quite certain that
the most ancient of all Egyptians drank
an intoxicating liquor made from barley.
That barley was one of the cereals Guilt
waited by the Egyptians is stated au-
thoritatively by Baron Bunsen and
Wilkinson, the famous Psychologists.
The word "corn," which appears so
frequently in the Bible, is a general
term applied to all kinds. While it is
not really known what the means was
that the ancients used for extracting
the alcoholic principle from the grain,
it is recorded that malt liquors were
much INDUCED in by the Greeks and
later by the Romans, by whom the
secret of their manufacture was intro
tuced into Gaul and Britain.
As to the details of the process, they
are almost indentical in all establish
ments. The barley first undergoes
what is termed "steeping." This is
done in large cisterns holding anywhere
from one hundred bushels to three
hundred and more, depending upon
the extent of floor in the malt-house.
Water is poured in on the barley until
it is covered to depth of six inches.
From fifty to sixty hours is the time
allowed for sleeping. After the grain
has imbibed sufficient moisture the
water is run off, and the barley is
turned out in heap on the malt floor,
and turned with wooden shovels every
few hours until sweating" sets in and
the grain begins to terminate. It is at
this point that the chemical change
takes place and the starch in the barley
is converted into sugar. The process
is allowed to continue to stage read
lily recognized by the expert malster,
when it is brought to finish by plac-
ing the malt in the drying-kiln, where
it is kept for longer or shorter time,
according as the liquor is to be ale or
stout. For stout or porter the malt is
scorched to brownish color, while for
the amber ales or beer it is permitted
to take but little color. By its con-
version from barley to malt the grain
increases 2 or per cent. in bulk, while
it loses something in weight. When
dried it is ready for the brewer or the
market.
The value of this city's annual output
OF malt for shipment is not less than
$4,000 900, and the value of that made
and consumed by Buffalo brewers may
be safely estimated at 81, 100000. This
immense industry has grown up almost
entirely during the last twenty years.
Before the war there was little or no
mailing done here. It is probable that
the large additions to the population
by Germans, and the consequent estab-
lishment of number of breweries gave
the business an impetus which helped
1t increase to its present large proper
tons.
HOW Il RELIC VAS KECOVEHED.
In 1887 the remains of George Wash
ington and his wife were removed from
the old tomb, where they had reposed
for thirty years, to the new one, where
they now remain. The body of Wash.
ington was originally enclosed in a
leaden coffin, and this again in a wooden
one. When Maj. Lewis and Mr..
Strickland had the coffin brought ont
OF the old vault the wooden case was
found to be entirely rotten. On the
bottom was lying the silver plate in the
form of shield, giving the mama ~